The measures to limit Bible sales were announced over the weekend and began taking effect this week. By Thursday, internet searches for the Bible came up empty on leading online Chinese retailers, such as JD.com, Taobao, and Amazon, although some retailers offered analyses of the Bible or illustrated storybooks.

[…] The move aligns with a longstanding effort to limit the influence of Christianity in China. Among China’s major religions — which include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and folk beliefs — Christianity is the only one whose major holy text is cannot be sold through normal commercial channels. The Bible is printed in China but legally available only at church bookstores.

Under President Xi Jinping, the authorities have further tightened their grip on Christianity, including cracking down on underground churches.

China’s e-commerce behemoths were not the only ones to be hit with the restrictions on online sales of the Bible.

A Christian bookstore on WeChat, China’s most popular messaging platform, based in southern Guangdong province said it was inundated with “notice of punishment” warnings from the social media app on Tuesday, and that most of its content – including the Bible, and Christian books and gifts – had been deleted overnight.

[…] Dong Jianlin, a bishop of a house church in Xian, capital of northwestern China’s Shaanxi province, said believers were shocked by the news.

“But I think the shock will die down gradually, because you just can’t ban the Bible,” he said. “People will always find ways to buy it, such as at state-sanctioned churches.” [Source]

“I think there is no religion in human society that is above the state,” the official, Chen Zongrong, said during a briefing on religious affairs in China, underscoring the government’s intention to maintain strict control over all religious organizations and their believers.

Mr. Chen’s remarks came amid reports that the Vatican was prepared to make concessions to Beijing in the appointment of the church’s bishops — including by asking two “underground” bishops to step aside — in exchange for retaining some influence over those who are chosen in the future.

The prospect of a breakthrough after decades of dispute between China’s Communist leaders and a succession of popes has raised hopes but also stirred unusual public criticism of the Vatican. Some Catholic leaders have warned that concessions to Beijing could betray those who have faced pressure and even persecution by worshiping in the so-called underground church here. [Source]